The Chair
by Saiyu.Aradatai
Summary: Why was the chair on Arthur's right hand empty at the first meeting of the round table? "For some reason the clotpole prefers to stand." Just a short one-shot set during Arthur's reign. No slash.


**Hay just a short piece of an idea that has been bugging my since I watched E5*01 last Saturday. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin it belongs to the lovely people at the BBC. **

**Hope you enjoy it. Saiyu.**

Merlin stood leaning on a pillar as the one of Arthur's boring council meetings was being conducted; the prat decided that he had to be there to play the part of the 'good servant'. Merlin sometimes found them interesting as they discussed issues that involved the people. This meeting was overly tedious however he really didn't care how much tax the west of Camelot was paying in comparison to the east. His eyes scanned the room looking for anything interesting to fixate on, there was Gwain who caught his eye and winked at him, Leon and Percival were doing their best to listen but to be honest they looked they were going to fall asleep. Merlin continued around the table clockwise there was Gaius, Guinevere next to him and then Arthur. Merlin sighed shaking his head someone how even with a circular table he still managed to sit at the head of it. Merlin looked at the seat next to Arthur the one that was always empty, he had wondered why that was for a while but never got around to asking Arthur about. He'd ask him later he decided.

"Merlin?" Merlin looked up with a start Arthur had turned around in his chair to talk to him. What the hell there was no way he could have any need of him to make a comment about grain. "Can you go grab some wine from the kitchen we're thirsty?"

"Yes, sire," He said before leaving through the main door, he did his best to keep the sarcasm out of his voice he really did but it was just too difficult. As walked down to the kitchens he wasn't thinking about the fact that Arthur had asked is could get the wine, it was still an order yes but it wasn't a direct one. It was a friendly request made between people of equal standing. Not that Arthur ever thought about it like that, he was just Merlin who went and got things. Merlin certainly didn't hear it like that; he only heard the order, a polite one but an order none the less.

Merlin returned with the wine soon only losing a bit of it on the hazardous journey back to the main meeting room. He walked in as they had a map open looking at Camelot. He placed the jug down on the table and looked at the map for a minute.

"But how would it be possible to control this system?" Arthur asked Gaius obviously in the middle of a conversation.

"You couldn't, not really and it would change when the villages moved which they do sometimes due to bandits and such, sire." Gaius answered as Merlin poured everyone a glass of wine starting with Arthur and moving clockwise around even filling the empty cup next to him.

"It's a good idea though imposing different taxes by area so that wealth can be taken into account and extreme weather conditions."

Merlin looked over Arthur's shoulder at the map empty jug in hand. "Why don't you just split it by land mass and the villages in that resulting area are grouped together rather than each village individually? That way if a village moved then it would just move into a different area changing to meet the new system there. If there's a problem of managing that from here then just send representatives out into the countryside and have them run the taxes in the more rural areas. For the areas closer to the capital can be run by the noblest family in the area. " He refrained from an obviously or a duh but no-one bothered to correct him when he didn't add sire either.

Arthur looked at him in shock to be truthful the entire table did except Gwain and Gaius who were smiling at him but then they usually did. "Merlin," Arthur said warningly. "Take that jug back to the kitchen before something amazing happens and you suggest something useful."

Merlin glares playfully at him and walked out of the room to return the jug. It was only when Arthur had made sure the door was shut tight did he say, "So, how are we going to divide Camelot into these land masses then?"

It was only later when Merlin was in Arthur's room picking up his washing while he was working that he remembered his question from earlier in the day. "Arthur?"

"Yes, Merlin?" Arthur set down his quill hoping Merlin wasn't going to say something really stupid.

"The seat next to you at the meeting why is it always empty?" He asked as he bent down to pick up another dirty sock.

"Well originally the seat was for the Court Warlock but seeing as we haven't got one yet it falls to the Chief Advisor to the King." Arthur said talking as if was explaining something to a small child. Merlin didn't notice the yet he was too busy picking up laundry, not that he'd ever admit it but he tried to do his job well.

"But why doesn't he sit in it then? And who is he I never ever seen him in any meetings?"

Arthur just smiled at him, "Don't ask me, for some reason the clotpole prefers to stand." Before picking up his quill again and continuing on.

"What an idiot," Merlin muttered as his finished picking up the washing. That for some reason causes Arthur to burst out laughing "Anything else for the laundry, my lord or is this all?" He asked with a mock bow before heading sharply towards the door as a cup was at his head.

It isn't till much later that he realises what Arthur meant. There were only two people who stood in the meeting room, him and Guinevere maid servant and Arthur had defiantly said 'him'. He chuckled at the irony the hidden warlock sitting in the old Chief Warlocks seat as the Chief Advisor. He smiled maybe Arthur wasn't as much of a dollop head as he first thought.

Merlin sat next to Arthur on his right hand side for next council meeting. He smiled around the table and was presently surprised to have all smiles shining back at him. He opened his mouth to speak but Arthur beat him to it. "Today, we need to talk about repealing the ban on magic; Father's views on magic are out dated and just plain cruel."

He did keep talking but Merlin had tuned out after that point he was looking out the window at Camelot. He was being to see what kind of king Arthur would be and the kind of kingdom they could create together. He really was proud of his friend.

**Hope you enjoyed it, a review would be nice constructive criticism is always welcome. Until next time Saiyu. **


End file.
